Off-duty cop who disarmed gunman usually on other side of news

STOCKTON - Many have seen Officer Joe Silva's face on television and in newspapers over the past two years in his role as a media liaison for the Stockton Police Department.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - Many have seen Officer Joe Silva's face on television and in newspapers over the past two years in his role as a media liaison for the Stockton Police Department.

Some saw a different side of Silva on Friday night, when the off-duty officer, out for a Valentine's Day dinner with his family, drew his weapon and apprehended an armed man who threatened to shoot patrons at a bustling Stockton restaurant.

Officials on Saturday identified Silva as the off-duty officer who disarmed a convicted felon and held him at gunpoint until backup officers arrived at Arroyo's Café in the 2300 block of West March Lane. Silva, a Stockton native and a father of two, was dining with his wife and their 5-year-old son when a verbal dispute nearly turned violent.

"If he hadn't been there and didn't take the action he did, there's a very high likelihood that we would have had a shooting," Police Chief Eric Jones said. "Joey is usually the one working with the news, and today he's the one making the news."

Silva is a former homicide detective and an 18-year veteran of the Stockton Police Department. He has served as the Police Department's public information officer since May 2012, a job that includes handling daily media inquiries, appearing on camera for interviews and spearheading the department's social media endeavors. He also serves as president of Stockton Police Youth Activities.

"He's just a nice guy who has an excellent rapport with people," Jones said. "When he was a school resource officer, he had a really good rapport with the youth. As a detective, he had a really good rapport with the victims' families. He's one of those officers who is excellent at what he does and able to connect with people at the same time."

Silva sprang into action after a man and a woman began to argue with two other men near the bar area at Arroyo's, where about 200 people were dining and drinking, officials said. The first man, 46-year-old Ruben Acosta, a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing a firearm, pulled a loaded semiautomatic handgun out of his female companion's purse, cocked the hammer back and threatened to open fire, police said.

"It was a scary situation," said Mario Arroyo, who owns the restaurant. "A lot of customers were concerned for the safety of their families. Luckily for us, Joe Silva was here, and he did a fantastic job of making sure nobody was injured."

As Acosta attempted to leave the restaurant with his female companion, 41-year-old Aurora Mercado, Silva drew his weapon, identified himself as a police officer and disarmed Acosta while holding him at gunpoint until uniformed officers arrived, authorities said. Citizens, including Arroyo and one of his sons, Mario Arroyo Jr., kept an agitated crowd back so Silva could detain Acosta.

Acosta was arrested on suspicion of numerous crimes, including assault with a firearm on a person and unlawful gun possession, authorities said. Aurora was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm, police said.

"Officer Silva's actions were heroic," Jones said. "I think he prevented a shooting and possibly a homicide from occurring, and he did it in a way that kept the rest of the patrons from being harmed.

"An officer would be well justified discharging their weapon, and every situation is different, but in this case, Officer Silva was extremely cognizant of the hundreds of people there. It was highly volatile and there were a lot of people at risk, but he was able to bring it to the best resolution you could possibly ask for."

Jones said Silva's actions exemplify his officers' commitment to the community.

"All of our officers who do things like this on a daily basis, whether they're on duty or taking off-duty action, are all answering the call to duty," Jones said. "They sign up for law enforcement to protect the community where they work and live, and they do it without a second of hesitation."

Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or janderson@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog or on Twitter @Stockton911.